Seattle made enormous changes at quarterback and wide receiver in the offseason but have a defense that appears to be on the rise under second-year Head Coach Mike Macdonald

Scott Smith

As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers near the end of their offseason program and the 2025 season draws ever closer, we're taking a look at each team the Buccaneers are going to face along the way. From how those teams fared last year, to what they've done with the roster since, to some as-yet-unanswered questions we want to get a better feel for what the Bucs will be up against this fall. Today's focus is on a Seahawks team that went 10-7 in 2024 before making a big switch at quarterback and bringing in a new coach to coordinate the offense.

2024 Results

The Seahawks' 2024 season was a lot like the Buccaneers' 2024 season, with one main difference. Like Tampa Bay, Seattle started out fast (3-0), hit a midseason lull (1-5) and then sprinted to the finish line to end up at 10-7. The difference? In Tampa, that record was good enough for the Bucs to win the NFC South, but in Seattle it left the Seahawks outside looking in when the playoffs began. The Seahawks actually tied the Rams atop the NFC West with that 10-7 after beating Los Angeles in the season finale, but lost the division on a tiebreaker and finished a game behind Green Bay for the last Wild Card spot.

The Seahawks started the season with narrow wins over Denver and New England, then blew out the Dolphins at home thanks to DK Metcalf's 71-yard touchdown and two scores by running back Zach Charbonnet. However, the Seahawks' defense slipped over the next six weeks, giving up an average of 29.7 points per game during that 1-5 stretch. In a 42-29 loss to Detroit, Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed all 18 passes he threw, including a touchdown toss to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the receiver reciprocated with a touchdown pass of his own to Goff. Losses of 31-10 to Buffalo and 26-20 to the Rams took Seattle into its Week 10 bye with a 4-5 record.

Again like the 2024 Buccaneers, the bye week appeared to provide Seattle with exactly what it needed, igniting a four-game winning streak. That included a two-game sweep of Arizona in a three-week span, capped by a 30-18 decision in which Charbonnet again scored twice and the Seattle defense picked off Kyler Murray twice. In hindsight it was the next game, a Sunday night home loss to Green Bay that doomed the Seahawks' playoff hopes, since it was the Packers who took that last NFC spot. The visitors ran out to a 20-3 halftime lead and quarterback Geno Smith, who had completed 15 of his 19 passes but thrown no touchdowns and one interception, was knocked out of the game in the third quarter with a knee injury. His replacement, Sam Howell, also threw an interception as Green Bay cruised to a 30-13 win.

Seattle than lost to another NFC contender, Minnesota, 27-24 in Week 16, with the lead changing hands three times in the second half. A desultory 6-3 Thursday night road win over Chicago in which the two teams combined for just 444 yards of offense kept Seattle's playoff hopes alive for a few extra days in Week 17 but they were eliminated with a Rams win on Saturday.

Smith's knee injury didn't keep him from starting all 17 games and he threw for 4,320 yards but had an uninspiring 21-15 TD-INT ratio. His top target was top target was 2023 first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who broke out in his sophomore campaign with 100 catches for 1,130 yards, while Metcalf just missed the 1,000-yard mark by eight yards. The Seahawks had a two-headed backfield with Charbonnet gaining 569 yards and scoring eight times and Kenneth Walker adding 573 yards and seven touchdowns. The Seahawks' offense was limited by offensive line woes and finished 28th in the league in rushing yards and 19th in points scored.

Seattle's defense made a noticeable improvement under first-year Head Coach Mike Macdonald, who had been the coordinator of a very strong defense in Baltimore. After finishing 30th in yards allowed, 31st in run defense, 21st in pass defense and 25th in points allowed in 2023, the Seahawks improved to 14th overall, 16th against the run, 11th against the pass and 12th in points allowed last year.

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams racked up 11.0 sacks and made the Pro Bowl for the first time in eight years. Despite not recording an interception, cornerback Devon Williams also got a Pro Bowl nod for the second time in as many NFL seasons. Safety Julian Love and cornerback Riq Woolen added three interceptions apiece.

2025 Arrivals

The Seahawks completely refigured their quarterback room after the 2024 season, trading Smith to the Raiders and signing Sam Darnold to a three-year, $100 million deal to replace him as the starter. The team also brought back Drew Lock after he had spent one season with the Giants, then spent a third-round pick on developmental Alabama passer Jalen Milroe. Darnold, a former first-round pick with the Jets turned journeyman resurrected his career in one season with the Vikings, amassing career highs in passing yards (4,319) and touchdown passes (35) to help Minnesota compile a 14-3 record.

Darnold will also be throwing to a new-look receiving corps after Metcalf and long-time Seahawk Tyler Lockett left town (more on that below). After the Rams released Cooper Kupp for cap reasons, the Seahawks pounced just six days later with a three-year $45 million deal to pair him with rising star Smith-Njigba. Seattle also brought in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, most recently of the Saints, and used a pair of Day Three draft picks on Colorado State's Tory Horton and UNLV's Ricky White. The most impactful rookie in Seattle's rookie class, however, may be Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo, the 50th overall pick in the draft.

Seattle added another new tight end in free agency, signing former 49er Eric Saubert, then used a fifth-round pick on Alabama tight end Robbie Ouzts, though Ouzts is being converted into a 274-pound fullback. The Seahawks' first pick in the draft addressed a pressing need on the interior offensive line, with North Dakota State's Grey Zabel expected to convert from tackle to guard in the pros. Seattle also signed former Ravens tackle Josh Jones, who should at least be insurance against more injuries to Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas.

On defense, Seattle's biggest addition in free agency was long-time Cowboy DeMarcus Lawrence, who got a three-year deal despite going into his age-33 season. Lawrence's last double-digit sack season was in 2018 but he made the Pro Bowl in both 2022 and 2023. Free agent additions safety D'Anthony Bell (Cleveland) and cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles (New Orleans) provide depth but aren't likely to start.

The draft brought an interesting piece to the defense in South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori, picked with the third pick of the second round. Emmanwori was a big hitter and a playmaker for the Gamecocks and proved to be freakishly athletic at the NFL Scouting Combine. The Seahawks have a fine safety duo of Love and Coby Bryant but will surely be looking for ways to get the physical Emmanwori on the field, with Macdonald mentioning nickel, safety and linebacker as possibilities.

2025 Departures

As noted above, the first big move for Seattle, and one that caught most of the league by surprise, was the March 7 agreement to trade Smith to the Raiders after he had started the past three seasons. The deal was officially executed on March 13 when the NFL's new league year began, and the signing of Darnold became official one day later. With only room for one Sam in town, the Seahawks shipped backup quarterback Sam Howell to Minnesota during the 2025 draft for a pick swap.

The trade-happy Seahawks also made a big deal with Pittsburgh, trading Metcalf to the Steelers for a second-round draft pick the same day that Smith was sent to Las Vegas. The Metcalf swap also included a sixth-round pick going to Pittsburgh and a seventh-rounder coming back to Seattle. Eight days before the start of free agency, the Seahawks released Lockett, who played a solid decade in Seattle but had just 600 yards in 2024, his lowest total since 2017. Lockett subsequently signed with Tennessee.

The Seahawks did some other housekeeping with veteran players in early March, releasing tackle George Fant, safety Rayshawn Jenkins, linebacker Dre'Mont Jones and defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris. Jones joined Lockett in Tennessee, Jenkins landed in Cleveland and Robertson-Harris signed with the Giants. Fant has yet to sign with a new team.

The Seahawks didn't lose a lot in free agency besides the players they voluntarily released. Guard Laken Tomlinson got a one-year deal in Houston after starting all 17 games for Seattle in 2024. Cornerback Tre Brown, who started 13 games over four seasons in Seattle stayed within the division, signing with San Francisco.

Other Noteworthy Developments

When he arrived in Seattle as the new head coach in 2024, Macdonald brought in former Commanders offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to hold the same position on his staff. That pairing only lasted one year, as Grubb was dismissed and replaced by Klint Kubiak, who had spent the previous year as the offensive coordinator in New Orleans. Kubiak was also previously a coordinator with the Vikings in 2021 and a passing game coordinator on Kyle Shanahan's 49ers staff in 2023.

The Seahawks made a number of other changes to their coaching staff in January and February. John Benton is the new offensive line coach, Andrew Janocko is now in charge of the quarterbacks and Rick Dennison arrives as a run game coordinator and assistant offensive line coach.

The Seahawks locked in their rocket-legged punter, Michael Dickson, with a contract extension after he averaged 48.2 yards per punt over the last seven seasons. The team waited until after the draft but eventually re-signed veteran defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins.

Pressing Questions

Will Sam Darnold repeat his strong performance in Minnesota in 2024 and match what Geno Smith has done in last three years?

Darnold was the biggest surprise success story in the NFL in 2024. He had spent the previous season as a reserve in San Francisco and the Vikings followed up his signing by drafting Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in April. Darnold and McCarthy were set to compete for the starting job but the veteran probably would have only been keeping the seat warm for the rookie if he had come out on top in that battle. Instead, McCarthy suffered a knee injury during the Vikings' preseason opener and was lost for the season.

Darnold took advantage by throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns and a 102.5 passer rating and finished 10th in the NFL MVP voting. The former third-overall draft pick had flamed out with the Jets and was traded after three seasons to Carolina, where he also failed to lock down a permanent job. His single-season highs prior to last year were 3,024 yards and 19 touchdowns with the Jets in 2019, his second campaign.

Darnold obviously had serious talented to be drafted so high, and Kevin O'Connell's quarterback-friendly system in Minnesota appeared to unlock them fully for the first time. Darnold had a four-touchdown game in a blowout of Houston and a five-touchdown game in a win over Atlanta as the Vikings ran their record to 14-2 heading into a winner-take-all battle with Detroit for the NFC North in Week 18. However, his time in Minnesota ended on a sour note as he threw for just one touchdown and 411 yards in a 41-18 loss to the Lions and a 27-9 Wild Card defeat in Los Angeles.

How well Darnold replicates his breakout season in Seattle could depend on how successfully the Seahawks addressed their offensive line additions in 2025. Zabel should step in at left guard and 2024 third-round pick Christian Haynes is expected to take over as the starter at right guard. The Seahawks stabilized the edges of their O-Line by hitting on Cross and Lucas on the first two days of the 2022 draft, but that pair has since dealt with injuries and some inconsistent play.

Can Head Coach Mike Macdonald continue to push the Seahawks' defense back to its previously high standards?

As noted above, Macdonald had an immediate influence on the Seahawks' once-proud defense, getting them back to the middle of the NFL pack after it had dipped to close to the bottom in 2023. There is now talk of a new Legion of Boom group forming in Seattle, especially with the arrival of Emmanwori, who has been compared to former Legion enforcer Kam Chancellor. Young defensive backs Woolen and Love have already made Pro Bowls and Witherspoon is already a star in the slot.

The Seahawks will be relying on a defensive front that is a bit long in the tooth with Williams, Lawrence, Hankins and 2016 draft pick Jarren Reed but Seattle was 12th in the NFL in sacks per pass play last year and hopes to get a full season out of edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu after two injury-shortened campaigns.

The Rams are running it back with Matthew Stafford after adding Davante Adams to his pass-catching crew, the 49ers should have do-it-all running back Christian McCaffrey next to their $265 million quarterback and the Cardinals are oozing with offensive potential behind Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride. The Seahawks may have the least predictable offensive situation in the NFC West after their massive changes at quarterback and receiver, so Macdonald's crew may need a top-10 defense to keep them in contention for a division title.